Pork prices taking a bite out of barbeque restaurants

NEW PARIS, Ohio (WDTN) – If you want to find out what Baumbach’s barbeque is all about, you can open the smoker in the back or the guest book in the front.

“My focus is my customer,” owner Tom Baumbach says. “As they come back they’re my trophies that speak volumes rather than something you have to dust on a shelf.”

Inside the book are comments from people as far away as Australia, but whether the currency is Australian or American dollars, there’s one cost owner Baumbach can’t escape.

A virus sweeping the United States is killing millions of baby pigs and that’s driving up pork prices.

Baumbach says since he opened his restaurant in New Paris nine years ago, the cost keeps rising.

“It’s doubled since I started and it’s not slowing down,” Baumbach says.

We asked Baumbach if he’s had to pass that on to customers yet.

“Right now I’m not passing it on to the customer,” Baumbach says. “We’re going to ride this through and we’re going to get through it and the customer’s not going to feel the pinch when they come here.”

But in a place that has the feel of the Old West with steer horns on the wall, Baumbach knows he’s in for a showdown.

“It’s very concerning because my livelihood is based on quantity,” Baumbach says.